Category: Front Porch Musings

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Friday

I’m glad this was a short work week.

I’m ready for the weekend.

I have big plans to do not much.

I think Bear has similar plans, excepting for guard duty which is nearly a full time beardog occupation.

We went to the Wild Fowl area today for a short walk – I planned on going to the lake but we were later than I wanted to be and it was hot…and muggy. We are having unusual September weather of warm/hot and humid.

They keep predicting heavy rain but so far, not at my house…just heavy damp air that is making me a bit head-achy.

But, it looked pretty.

And, it was good to drive to the area and nose around.

Bear and I are getting more comfortable. He stayed out in the yard a bit by himself this morning and seems more comfortable exploring further from me when we walk.

Friday.

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Supper time

Sometimes, you just have to take back a bit of normal…

Pizza on the grill: yellow jackets or no!

Supper time.

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At home

Home in the woods.

Things are different.

Bear and I miss the Bob-a-lu cat something fierce.

I took the “just get it over with quickly” approach to Bob’s stuff and closeted it all away. I don’t think there is a right answer to this…I could look at it and miss him or look at where all the stuff should be and miss him. None of it is him so I put it away.

And while I was about it, I put the A/C units away also.

It was gorgeous, yesterday (Saturday) and barely hit 70F.

This morning, it was a wonderfully brisk 46F.

But. We are to have a warm week with a forecast change to Fall next weekend. Still, it is September 1 and we are down to 11 hours of daylight and a lower on the horizon sun path so it gets harder for it to get miserably hot. I hope – I’ve had it with hot.

While we were away, there were 2 big storms. They included a LOT of wind. A photo of the yard really doesn’t show how much of a mess it was and some of it still is.

I’ve been working at the cleanup between 5:45 and 6:15 a.m. – to avoid the yellow jackets. I’ve had it with them, also.

I need to go up on the roof and at least get those big branches. I’d like to take the blower and clear the needles. We’ll see. I might wait until we get a hard frost for the blowing part. More needles will come down anyway. I can procrastinate. I can avoid looking at the roof. Maybe it will snow on the roof and then I won’t be able to see all of the needles…that is a happy thought!!

The herbies…more happy thoughts! My dear neighbors picked them up and kept them on their front porch and watered them. And delivered them back to me. The herbs look wonderful. They look like they did not miss me at all. Thank you, neighbors!

At home.

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We’re home

I had an opportunity to drive home this morning and I took it.

Bear and I, in Wild Thing, departed the campground at 7:00 a.m. on the dot!

A big orange sun in the sky and in our hearts.

We’re home.

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Back in Great Falls

Wild Thing is once again parked in Great Falls. We are in a different spot but still near the back of the park and easy access to the Nature Trail walk to the teepee and beyond.

Again we have a foilage buffer between us and neighbors.

Boy…Helena did NOT agree with Bear or me.

Below, taken at 5:10 p.m. …. I think it tells the story. We are relieved and glad to be here.

I drove the 94 miles over a longish lunch hour, working a few hours this morning and arriving in time for an afternoon work session.

During the work session, it got dark, the wind blew, thunder, lightning, the power went out!!!

But I am all about batteries: laptop, mobile hotspots – I finished the work session without a blip!

Fortunately, the whoosh of wind, etc. lowered the temperature so I did not need to fire up the genset but I was very glad when the power came back. A quick call to the park office and I was told that the entire east side of Great Falls had gone black. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to restore…just shy of 2 hours.

Wild Thing’s refrigerator changed over to propane so the wine was cold!!!

I think Bear is ready to be home.

I am ready to be home.

We are paid through Saturday morning as I hope that Bob’s ashes will be available to come with us, but if not, I have already paid for them to be shipped. Still, I would like to have them and all of us home together.

It still feels like the world has tilted on its axis. Disconcerting. As many times as I’ve lived through a loss event, it never gets easier. In fact, it gets more difficult.

BUT.

I keep the “BIG ORANGE SUN” of Bob’s love in my heart and mind.

And I work on living. To give in to less robs me and Bear of the joy of today. I absolutely know that neither Bob nor Karl nor Gus nor Zack would want anything other than joyful memory and joyful life.

Back in Great Falls.